Thuja plant named ‘SMTOTM’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Thuja  plant named ‘SMTOTM’, characterized by its upright plant habit; narrow columnar plant form; vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; dense and bushy form; bright green-colored leaves; bright green coloration maintained during the winter; and good winter hardiness and wind resistance.

Botanical designation: Thuja occidentalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMTOTM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant, botanically known as Thuja occidentalis, commonly known as American Arborvitae and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMTOTM’.

The new Thuja plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Thuja plants with a compact plant habit.

The new Thuja plant originated from an open-pollination during the spring of 2003 of the Thuja occidentalis ‘Ada’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent and an unknown selection of Thuja occidentalis as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Thuja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor during the spring of 2007 as a plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Thuja plant by hardwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since November, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Thuja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Thuja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMTOTM’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMTOTM’ as a new and distinct Thuja plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit; narrow columnar plant form.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate.     -   3. Dense and bushy form.     -   4. Bright green-colored leaves; bright green coloration         maintained during the winter.     -   5. Good winter hardiness and wind resistance.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Ada’. Plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Ada’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Thuja are narrower than plants of ‘Ada’.     -   2. Plants of the new Thuja grow faster than plants of ‘Ada’.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of Thuja occidentalis, ‘DeGroot's Spire’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Thuja differed primarily from plants of ‘DeGroot's Spire’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Thuja were narrower than plants of         ‘DeGroot's Spire’.     -   2. Plants of the new Thuja grew faster than plants of ‘DeGroot's         Spire’.     -   3. Plants of the new Thuja maintained were more winter hardy         than plants of ‘DeGroot's Spire’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Thuja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Thuja plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘SMTOTM’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Thuja plant production. Plants were four years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Thuja occidentalis ‘SMTOTM’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Thuja occidentalis ‘Ada’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Thuja             occidentalis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By hardwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 45 days at             temperatures about 10° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce rooted young plants, summer.—About six             months at temperatures about 10° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to fine, somewhat fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub; upright             plant habit and narrowly columnar plant form; vigorous             growth habit; moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 70 cm.         -   Plant diameter, base.—About 16 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about six             primary lateral branches developing per plant with numerous             secondary and tertiary branches; dense and bushy habit.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Aspect: Main             branch, upright; lateral branches about 10° from stem axis.             Strength: Strong. Texture, developing branches: Scaly;             glabrous. Texture, main trunk: Woody. Color, developing             branches: Close to 166D. Color, developed branches: Close to             165A.         -   Leaf description.—Appearance and arrangement: Flattened and             closely appressed, scale-like; opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern:             Parallel. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Fragrance: Aromatic and             cedar-like. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 143A; bright green coloration is             maintained during the winter. Fully expanded leaves, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 141A; venation, close to 141A. -   Cone description:     -   -   Female flowers.—Arrangement: Solitary, terminal. Diameter:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Shape: Spherical. Color: Initially light             green becoming closer to pinkish red with development.         -   Male flowers.—Arrangement: Solitary, axillary. Length: About             1 cm. Shape: Ellipsoidal. Color: Reddish brown.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 144A. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Thuja have been observed have     good garden performance, good winter hardiness, to be wind-tolerant     and to tolerate temperatures ranging from about −31° C. to about 38°     C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Thuja have been     observed to be resistant to root rot pathogens. Plants of the new     Thuja have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Thuja plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Thuja plant named ‘SMTOTM’ as illustrated and described. 